[Windows] Server 9.1.1 - fastCGI PATH problem + solution

[stev6505]

This is kind of a bug report, or should help others not wasting hours of their life:

Zend Server 9.1.1.114795
The default MSI installation ("development machine" option) leaves the following configuration entry:

ZENDSERVER\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf

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FcgidInitialEnv PATH "..."

Setting environment variablies using FcgidInitialEnv is silently truncated after 128 characters.
If your PATH is longer than 128 characters, you will have a bad time.

This seems to be an Apache mod_fcgid issue (found by the Perl guys in 2014(!)):
gmod[dot]org/wiki/Recompiling_mod_fcgid_to_avoid_truncated_Perl_library_paths

The problem is that mod_fcgid limits environment variables to 127 characters and will truncate their values if they exceed this.

But you are not forced to use this broken directive.


example:

ZENDSERVER\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf

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FcgidInitialEnv PATH "C:\mysql\bin;C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Utilities 1.6\;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_144\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU\GnuPG\pub;C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin;C:\Program Files\TortoiseSVN\bin;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Program Files (x86)\ZendServer\ZendServer\share\ZendFramework\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\ZendServer\ZendServer\bin;%JAVA_HOME%\bin;"

phpinfo(): Environmenth PATH:

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C:\mysql\bin;C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Utilities 1.6\;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_144\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU\GnuP

In my case I wanted to call Java from PHP using exec()/passthru(), which failed because the PATH which PHP sees has been silently truncated by Apache/FastCGI.


solution:

To workaround this issue remove or comment this directive:

ZENDSERVER\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf

Code: Select all

#FcgidInitialEnv PATH "..."

Now PHP sees the correct PATH environment variable (for the user running the Apache process).


final thoughts:

Please improve the Windows MSI installer:
1. remove the FcgidInitialEnv PATH directive or comment by default, at least for "development" machines
2. let one choose the Apache user account for the services
3. let one choose the default document root


keywords:
Windows, Apache, FastCGI, mod_fcgid, FcgidInitialEnv, length, PATH, httpd.conf

[zend_eyalt]

Hi there,

thank you for detailing both your problem and the workaround you found.

We will see if we can compile apache with an higher limit than the 127 characters.

Regarding the 2 other feature requests, they would go to product management for consideration whether they should go into development.

thanks,
Eyal

[zend_eyalt]

Just to update that the FcgidInitialEnv issue was indeed addressed (extending the PATH limit to 512 characters) and will be part of the next major ZS release.